Fishing reel



Aug. 18, 1953 .c. D. SHELBURNE FISHING REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April2, 1948 INVENTOR. 621 0317. fiwlavmw,

Aug. 18, 1953 c. D. SHELBURNE FISHING REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April2, 1948 INVENTOR. Czypgz'fl Sswzzamvz,

Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FISHING REEL QlydcDufiield Shelburne, Shelburn, Inc]. Application April 2, 1948, SerialNo. 18,649

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a spinnertype reel, and is primarilyconcerned with the provision of various improvements over knownembodiments of that type of reel, to overcome the recognized defects anddisadvantages of spinnertype reels heretofore known. A spinner-typereel, used in bait casting or fly casting, is of such construction thatthe line may be drawn oil the spool in the direction of the spool axis,without causing rotation of the spool, and in which the line is returnedto the spool either byv rotating the spool or by rotating a flier whosepath circumscribes the spool. My invention is concerned with the formertype or" reel, in which the spool is rotated in returning the line tothe spool.

An object of the invention is to provide improved catch means forrestraining the line as the spool is rotated during recovery. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a reel of the character underconsideration, so mountable upon the rod that its position may beadjusted with respect to the rod in order to facilitate line flow fromand to the spool. A further object of the invention is to provide amounting for a reel which will permit the reel to be shifted between aposition in which its spool axis is parallel with the rod axis, and aposition in which its spool axis is perpendicular to the rod axis.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved actuatingmechanism for a catch pin whereby, by a simple flick of a thumb orfinger of the hand grasping the rod, the catch pin may be shifted,quickly and certainly, from either of its extreme positions to theother.

Further objects of the invention are to provide improvements andrefinements in the construction of reels of the character here underconsideration. To the accomplishment of the above and related objects,my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawingsare illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specificconstruction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of theappended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a reel constructed in accordance with myinvention, showing, in dotted lines, a more or less diagrammaticrepresentation of a rod with which such a reel may be associated;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of my reel;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a broken longitudinal section showing a preferred relationshipbetween a spool and the catch pin of my invention;

Fig. 5 is. a greatly enlarged, broken, perspective view of my catch pinand the actuatin m qhtlr nism therefor;

Fig, 6 is a reduced perspective view of my reel in the position in whichthe spool a is is perpens dicular to the rod axis; and

Fig. '7 is a vertical section through the mounte ing bracket, showingthe means whereby the reel is mounted for shifting between its twopositions relative to the mounting bracket.

Referring more particularly to. the. drawings it will be seen that myreel comprises a base it) which preferably takes the form of a circulardisc having a central opening ll therein in which is preferably mounteda bearing bushing I 2. Journalled in said bushing is an axle l3,concentric with the base Hi, and projecting forwardly and rearwardlyfrom said base. On its rear end, the axle [3 has fixed thereto a gearl4.

Mounted in a chordal position upon the rear face of the base i 9 are twocylindrical housin s. l5 and I5, secured to the base by screws [6 and15", or the like, and providing a journal mounting for a shaft I? whichprojects equally beyond the re.- mote ends of said housings l5 and I5.At the center of the shaft, and between the housings l5 and I5, there isfixed to the shaft n a gear s having a driving mesh with the gear 14. Ateach end of the shaft ll there isprovided a tapped socket IE or I9 forthe alternative reception of a screw 20 securing to said shaft a crankhandle 2 l A bracket 22 of conventional form, adapted to be located upona reel seat of any conventional fishing rod, carries a standard or post23., the

, oiiset mid-portion of said bracket being formed with a threadedaperture 24 in which the lower threaded end of the post 23 is adjustablymounted and adapted to be secured in any desired position of adjustmentby a lock nut 25. The post 23 is formed with a bore 26 in which is,received a spring 21, adjustably backed by a screw 23 and bearingagainst a ball 29. The ball 29 rides in a groove 30 formed in thearcuate, perimetral edge of a sector 3| pivotally mounted at the upperend of the post 23; and the groove 30 is formed with two seats ornotches 32 and 33, spaced degrees apart. Obviously, the ball 29,engaging in one or the other of the notches 32 and 33, will tend to holdthe sector 3! in either of its two limiting positions of adjustment.

The sector 3| is formed with a flat surface 34, diametrically oppositethe seat 33, against which the rear surface of the base I0. is adaptedto be secured by a plurality of screws 33, or other equivalent fasteningmeans passing through apertures 31 formed in said base. In this fashion,the base I is mounted to assume either the position illustrated in Fig.1, in which it lies in a plan transaxially perpendicular to the axis ofthe rod with which the reel is associated, or the position of Fig. 6, inwhich the base lies in a plane parallel with the rod axis, and the axisof the axle I3 is perpendicular to said rod axis. I prefer to provide aset screw 38 whereby the sector 3| may, if desired, be locked in anyposition of adjustment relative to the post 23. It will be clear from aninspection of Fig. '7 that the arcuate, perimetral surface of the plate3| lies in a plane which, when the bracket 22 is in place on a rod,includes the rod axis, and which is perpendicular to the plane of thebase It; and that the pivotal axis of said plate isparallel with theplane of said base and transaxial with respect to the rod.

The axle I3 is formed with an enlargement providing a substantiallycylindrical friction surface of substantial axial length and chamferedat its outer end, as at 32.

A plug 58 has a press fit in the outer end of the axle enlargement, andis formed with a central aperture in which is reciprocably mounted abutton 68.

A spool 68 is adapted to be sleeved upon the cylindrical surface of theenlargement of the axle [3. In its preferred form, the spool will beformed with a central bushing 69 formed for cooperation with latch means(not shown) carried by the axle and actuable by the button 69 to releasethe spool for ready removal and reversal.

It will be clear that the spool may be mounted I upon the axle witheither of its end faces adjacent the base iii. The chamfer 52facilitates the sleeving of the spool bushing 69 onto the enlargement ofthe axle.

An annular ring member 13 is associated with the base, and is soproportioned and designed that, when in position, it peripherallyoverlies the :spool 68, restraining the line against undue radialmovement, under the influence of centrifugal :force as line is strippedfrom the spool.

When line is to be recovered with the reel in :the position of Fig. 1,it is necessary to provide :means bridging the radial space between thespool periphery and the ring '23. I have provided a novel bridging meanswhich is illustrated in detail in Fig. 5.

A housing M is secured to the outer periphery of the ring 73. The ring'53 is preferably mounted upon the periphery of the base it with afriction-press fit, so that it is universally adjustable peripherallyand axially relative to said base. Thus, the housing l4 may assume anydesired position with relation to the crank arm 2 l.

The housing'lfi is formed with a bore which, when the housing is mountedupon the ring it, extends substantially radially with respect to theaxis of the axle it. I presently believe that it may be desirable toincline the bore 15 slightly in a direction opposed to the direction ofwinding rotation of the spool 63.

Reciprocably mounted in the bore 15 is a catch pin 16 of such lengththat it may be projected from the bore 75 far enough to bridge theradial space between the spool periphery and the ring 13. Pivotallymounted in the housing '14, upon a pin Ti, for instance, is a lever 78;and a second lever 19, generally of U-shape, has its legs (only one ofwhich is shown) pivotally received in openings 8i]v in-thewalls of. thehousing 14. A finger 4 8| at the opposite end of the lever 19 engages ina notch 82 in the pin 16.

A toggle link 83 is pivoted to the lever 19, substantially at the baseof the U, and guides a shoe for reciprocatory movement longitudinally ofsaid link, said shoe being urged away from the finger M by a spring 84sleeved upon the link 83. One arm 85 of the lever is operativel engagesthe lower face of said shoe, while the other arm 87 projects to asubstantial degree beyond the rear face of the base [0 (see Fig. 3).With the lever 18 in its illustrated position, the pin 16 will be in itsretracted position. If, however, the arm 87 is shifted toward the axisof the spool 68, the toggle link 33 will thereby be shifted into aposition in which the spring 84 will press upon the lever 19 in a'direction to move its finger 8| toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 5;and the action of the spring 84 will thereby snap the pin it toward theright to project the nose of said pin to the opposite limit of itsstroke. If desired, the parts may be so related that such projection ofthe pin 76 will carry the nose thereof into overlapping relation withthe outer face of the spool 68; but I prefer to form each rim flange ofthe spool with a peripheral groove, such as that illustrated at 913 inFigs. 3 and i, the groove in the currently forward flange of the spoolregistering with the pin it, so that the nose of said pin actuallyenters the groove in the spool rim in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4.

If the arm Bl of the lever 73 is now returned to its positionillustrated in Fig. 5, the toggle mechanism will snap the pin 76 back toits illustrated, retracted position.

Preferably, the outer flange 39 of each spool rim groove will beslightly eccentric, so that, upon each rotation of the spool, the line52 will be pushed radially outwardly, and so upon the pin iii, when saidpin is in its bridging position.

If desired, the user may dispense with the housing M and its associatedparts. For such use, the ring 73 will be adjusted, as shown in Fig. 6,to bring its notch 8! into substantial alignment with the rod. The setscrew 38 being loosened, the reel will be positioned as shown in Fig. 1for casting; and for recovery, it will be shifted to the position ofFig. 6. So long as the reel is in the position of Fig. 1, line can bestripped therefrom without rotation of the spool; but when the reel isshifted to the position of Fig. 6, rotation of the spool will recoverline 92. The shifting of reel position is very simple, and the reel willnaturally snap into optimum positions at both ends of its range ofmovement because of the provision of the mechanism illustrated in Fig.7.

The reel may be mounted to project above the rod, in the mannerillustrated in Fig. 1, or it may be mounted to project below the rod. Ifit is mounted in the latter position, without other modifications, itwill be clear that the direction of rotation of the shaft ii forrecovery of line will thereby be reversed. In order to overcome thatdisadvantage, I provide the base l8 with a second pair of screw holes3'1, removed from the positions of the holes 31.; and the sector 3i willbe secured to the base through the holes 37, instead of through theholes 3'2, when the reel is to be mounted in a dependent position.

It will be clear that the handle 2! may be shifted from end to end ofthe shaft i? without reversing the direction of shaft and spoolrotation.

The mounting means whereby the spool 68 is associated with the axle I3is preferably of such character as to provide a friction clutch betweenthe crank handle 2| and the spool. It may be desirable, at times, toprovide for direct manipulation of the spool 68, independent of suchfriction connection. For that purpose, I may provide a knob or handle(not shown) fixed to each end surface of the spool 68 and shiftable intoand out of flush relation with its associated surface.

It will be apparent that the means for retaining the spool in positionon the axle is such as to facilitate frequent reversals of the spoolupon the axle. All the fisherman needs to do, in order to reverse thespool position and thereby eliminate twist and kink in his line, is topress the button 69, whereupon the spool will be released so that it canbe readily grasped, drawn oil the axle, reversed, and replaced upon theaxle. As the spool is pressed home, in its new relation, latchcontrolled by the button 69 will engage the spool to retain it,whereupon the fisherman may make his new cast and proceed to recover hisline, without interference, and automatically restore an untwistedcondition of his line.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spinner reel comprising a base, an axle journal mounted on saidbase, a spool mounted on said axle for rotation therewith, an annularmember carried bv said base, axially overlying the periphery of saidspool, and radially spaced from said spool, a line wound on said spooland leading through the radial space between said member and theperiphery of said spool, and a catch pin carried on said member andshiftable substantially radially of said spool into and out of aposition bridging said radial space; and in which said base is in theform of a circular disc, said axle is concentric therewith, and saidannular member has a friction-press fit upon the periphery of said basefor independent peripheral and axial adjustment relative to said base.

2. A spinner reel comprising a base, an axle journal mounted on saidbase, a spool mounted on said axle for rotation therewith, an annularmember carried by said base, axially overlying the periphery of saidspool, and radially spaced from said spool, a line wound on said spooland leading through the radial space between said member and theperiphery of said spool, a housing, means securing said housing to theouter wall of said annular member to project beyond that end of saidmember remote from said base, a catch pin reciprocably mounted in theprojecting portion of said housing and shiftable substantially radiallyof said spool into and out of a position bridging said radial space, alever pivotally mounted in said housing and having an arm projectingbeyond the opposite end of said member, and toggle means operativelyconnecting said lever to shift said pin between its opposite extremepositions.

3. The reel of claim 2 in which said base is in the form of a circulardisc, said axle is concentric therewith, and said annular member isfrictionally mounted upon the periphery of said base for independentperipheral and axial adjustment relative to said base.

4.. A spinner reel comprising a base, an axle journal mounted on saidbase, a spool mounted on said axle for rotation therewith, an annularmember carried by said base, axially overlying the periphery of saidspool, and radially spaced from said spool, a line wound on said spooland leading through the radial space between said member and theperiphery of said spool, and a catch pin carried on said member andshiftable substantially radially of said spool into and out of aposition bridging said radial space; and in which said spool is providedwith a radially outwardly-opening annular groove registering with saidcatch pin and enterable by said pin when said pin is in bridgingrelation to said radial space, said groove being bounded by an eccentricflange.

CLYDE DUFFIELD SHE LBURNE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain July 27, 1922 France Feb. 15,1937 France Aug. 5, 1946 Number Number

